Hydraulic damping device



Dec. 10, 1946. I c. c. s. E CLAfR ,4

HYTDRAULIC DAMPING' DEVICE Filed May 28; 1945 s Sheets-Sheet 1 I I I I an or 6 G 6. 6%;

j A ttorneys Dec. 10,1946.

0. c. 5. LE CLA lBL r HYDRAULI C DAMP ING DEVI CE Filed May 28, .1943 5 Sheets-Sheejt 2 .Qaawzim? AfforpeyS Dec. 10, 1946. v c. (3.5. LE CL AIR 2,412,277

. HYDRAULIC DAMPING DEVICE .Filed May 28, 194.3 s Sheets-Sheet 3 i H 1 ven tor (821,11 (Ilka .L v na A WW AttorneyS Patented Dec. 10, 1946 o r-F1012:

HYDRAULIC DAMPING DEVICE Camille Clare Sprankling Le Clair, Acton, London, England Application .May 28, 1943, SerialNo. 488,935

In Great Britain June 5, 1942 4 Claims;

, i This, invention relates. to. hydraulic. damping devices, of the general'type comprising two telescopically arranged members, one,. or both, of.

which maybe connected to a member, ormembers, whose movements are to be damped, 'andla piston which is adapted to displace-the liquid in the circuitfromone side to theother of the piston.

A hydraulic damping, device. according terms invention comprises a main or. operatin cylinder which isadapted to be-operably connected to an anchorage, or to the member whose movements. are to. be damped, a main or operating piston, which is slidable withinthe cylinder and is adapted to be operably connected to the saidmember or said anchorage and-to displace-liquid from-one sideof the'piston to'the opposite side; andwmeans which is adapted to resist. the transfer of liquid from one side of the piston tothe. other side thereof and which is so constructeduandarranged thatthemagnitude of the damping. actionis'dependent primarily upon the resistance: offered by said. means to the flow of liquid and .notupon anchorage rte-t plicable to the damping. of the movementsof' a,

member oscillatably mounted. upon. the fuselage. of an aircraft and towhichone endoflatow ropev is secured, the object of the dampingdevice being to absorb the inertia energy transmitted through the said member and. to. cause the member to take up. new positions gradually without shock andwithout surge. I

Briefly, this construction. comprises two headers one of. which is connected to an oscillating\ member, the headers, being. arrangedlat, opposite ends of an operating ormainwcylinder in which. is slidable an outer or. main. piston! connected to,- an outer. tube. fastened to a: fixedanchorage on, the fuselage. Thew telescopic: movements of the cylinder and outer tube and, piston du to the oscillation of the said member, cause the liquidl in. the cylinder. to; berdisplaced, the liquid circuit being. completed through a-transfer tube and. the. displacement ofl liquid from onersid'e. tovthe other, of. the piston. being resisted by spring.- loaded Or inherently-resilientvalves asdescribed. above, said valves being arranged. adjacent tothe opposite endsv oftheitransfertubep Means, acting as. a pressure accumulator, are also provided for compensatingfor the dififeren tial displacement of the operating pistonand for putting. the liquidund'erinitial pressure and? compensating for the. effectof temperature.

valve is lifted to the fullextent the load appliedv is such as to exert the maximum desiredresistance to the flow of liquid through the said orifice. In this manner, the force opposing the movement of the piston in its cylinder, i', e., the damping effect, is substantially proportional to the rapidity of displacement of the liquid or, in other words, of the piston. The efiect of viscosity is therefore substantially negligible. The energy absorption is provided by the work done by the liquid in forcing itself past the valve against the force of the controlling spring, this being in contradistinction to known means wherein the energy absorption is due to the viscous flow of'liquid through one or more orifices.

As a modification, use may/be'made of a disc valve fixed at the centre and free at the edge, the said valve having suificient inherent resiliency and resistance to performthe function required without using a, separate spring.

The constructional formof the invention which will be described hereinafter is particularly apchanges upon the liquid. 7

One constructional: form of the invention,

adapted to damp the movements of a member,

oscillatably mountedupon the fuselageof anaircraft and to. whicnone endjof a glider tow rope. secured, is hereinafter described',,by .Way of, example,v with reference to the accompanying drawings, whereon:

Fig. 1- is a sectional elevation of" the upper part of'the device;

Fig. 1A is a sectionalelevation of the bottom part oith'e' device; and.

Fig; 2 is-an outside elevation thereof;

Referring to the drawings:

The object of: the device is. to absorb the in,- ertia; energy transmitted through. the said" member oscillatably mounted upon the fuselage and to; cause the member to take upv new positions gradually andwithoutshock or surge.

The device comprises/an operating; cylinder I, on to the upper end of which is secureda tubular upper header 2 fitted at the top with a. hollow cap 3- having an apertured bottom, wall 4; The

bottom end. of" the said cylinder, is, fitted within,

a bottom headeri which is described. hereinafter; .The bottom end of an inner tube 6 is tube 6 and is normally forced downwards therein by means of a number of coaxial coil springs I3 disposed in the tube between the piston 9 and the said cup 1 The bottom end of the lowermost spring I3 is seated in a cup l4 bearing against the piston 9 against which thesaid sealthat when the valve is on its seat, little or no load is applied by the spring, and when the valve is lifted to the full extent the load applied is such as to exert the maximum desired resistance to the flow of liquid through the apertured collar 39.

The guide comprises an inwardly extending stem 44 on one side of the shoulder and an outwardly extending stem 45 which is screwed into the outer wall of the valve'box. Bythis construction, the initial loading of the valve spring 4| can be adjusted by screwing the valve guide 43 inwards or outwards and a lock nut 46 on the screwed part ing member is clamped by a clamping member l5 mounted upon a rod-like extension I6 of the piston and forced against the sealing member.

by nuts I5A. The said cup I4 is slidably guided in the tube 6 and the upper end of the springis arranged in an inverted, apertured cup I I slid-- able in the tube. Each of the other springs 13 is fitted at its lower end in an apertured, slidable cup MA with an upwardly-directed skirt, and at its upper end in a similar cupIlA witha downwardly directed skirt. The top cup-HA of the upper spring bears against the cap I atcthe top of the inner tube 6.

The advantage of this arrangement is that by using a plurality of springs, the length/diameter ratio of the individual springs may be sochosen that the spring is free from any appreoiable'tendency to lateral buckling. Should such buckling occur, a large and indeterminate frictional component would be" superimposed on the'normal action of the spring, By this arrangement, a long, relatively narrow spring which would be seriously unstable laterally is replaced by a number of laterally stable relatively short springs hav ing the same degree of resiliency as the single spring. V a

An outer tube I8 is slidable through the open-' ing in the end of the hollow cap 4 in the end of'the top header 2, a metal-reinforced rubber sealing memberI9 having two sealing edges. 29 and 2| being arranged in the cap. and fixed therein by a clamping member 22 and a cover 23 closing the end of the cap. The cover is formed with an annular recess surrounding the tube and packed with dirt excluding packing 24. such as .felt. 'A'

cap 25 comprisinga forked connecting member 26 is fixed in the upper end of the outer tube I8,

and is pivotally connected to a suitable fixed part of the aircraft (not shown). 7

The bottom header 5 is of box form and it comprises a lower passage 27 forming the seating for the bottom end of the inner tube 6 and, before the latter is'fitted, communicating 'at itstop end with the interior of the hollow body part. 28, which is of greater area. The bottom of the said passage 27 is closed by a plug 29 formed externally with a fork 3!] to which a member 3| on an oscillating lever 32 is pivotally attached, as shown in Fig. 2. An oil inlet 33, fitted with a filler nipple 34, communicates with the said passage 21v and the latter also communicates with a transverse passage 35 leading to a valve box 36'which is secured to a lateralface of the bottom header. A valve seat 31 is held between the contacting faces of the bottom header and valve box, the said seat being in the form of a disc, which is provided with a number of holes 38, and with a central apertured collar: 39 extending into the valve box. A. fiat valve 49, guided for movement towards and from the end of the collar 39, is normally pressed on to the said end by a'coil spring 4I arranged between the flat valve and a shoulder '42 on a valve guide 43. The spring 4| is of such a rating munication with atmosphere.

- the bottom header and in communication with the interior'of the body 28 of the header. A coil spring 49 of light rating-is arranged in thesaid cavity and acts to press the fiat va1ve4'l relatively lightly on to its seat so as to "close the" holes 33 in the valve seat. When lifted oil its seat" the valve is guided by ribs 48!} in the cavity -48. An operating piston 58 is fittedon the bottom, end of the outer tube I8 and comprisesapiston part 5| which is of cup form and is slidablein the operating cylinder I, a metal-reinforced rubber sealing member 52, having two sealing edges 53 and '54, being arranged 'in the skirt partof' the cup and secured therein by a clamping mem-' ber 55 fixed by an apertured cover 56 closing the end of the cup. Thesaid sealing inembervacts to prevent oil leakage past the piston alongthe innertuba' 1 7 'The top header 2 is provided with a: lateral cavity'5l, which communicates withthe interior of the header above the top of operating c nn: der I andis closed bya valve box 58 similar in constructionto the bottom valve box 36 and also containing identical valve, valve seat and spring". 7

The; springs 49 and 4% are adapted to load thevalvesl,

mechanisms 48a, 41a, 3'Ia,4|a and 49a.

41 and 41a at a lesspressurethan the piston 9, is loaded. The interiors of the top and bottom .valve 1 boxes 36 and 58 are'connected by a transfer tube 59. The hole 6i]v in the cap 25 at the top of the outer tube I8 acts in conjunction'with,thejhole 8 in the cap I on the inner tubetoput thein f teriorof the latter above thepiston 9 in come In operation, theoscillation of the said me mf ber 32; see. Fig. 2, pivotallyattaohed to; the ibbt 7 tom header. 5 causes the latter, the .lbperating cylinder. I, the top header 2, the inner tube. sane the accumulator piston 9, the two. valve boxes 36'a'nd 58 and the transfer tube 59tobemoved relatively to theouter tube I8 and operating pis-i ton 50. The annular spacebetween the cylinder land the outer tube, the-headers, the va ve boxes, the transfer tube and the inner tubeare filled with a suitable liquid,- such as oil; [Assum ing that the oscillating member 32 is moved: downwards from the position OX, liquid ontop of the operating piston 58 is transferred sup:

wards in the cylinder I and through the top header and, after having forced the floW-rresiste ing valve 48a off its seat 31a, flows through the transfer tube 59 into the bottom valve box 36. The liquid forces the larger fiat valve 41 in the bottom valve box off itsseat and is transferred through the holes'38 in the valve seat 31into the space 28 in the bottom header around the: inner tube and into the cylinder I below-the operating piston 59. Owing'to the difierence inf V amaze? the: areaeofi the: annular spaces above and below the outer piston 1 the volumef-off' liquidiudi'splaced above the piston is less than: that: entering the cylinder below. This deficiency is: madeup by the" spring pressed' accumulatorrpiston: displacmg: the: necessaryquantity: of make-up liquid from the inn'ertubefi into the bottom header and thence into. the valverb-on and throughthe holes which case liquid is displaced from below the operating piston above it. In both cases, the damping action is brought about by the resistance ofiered to the transfer of the liquid from above (or below) to below (or above) the operating piston 5!! by the said smaller flat valves 48a and 40, which are loaded by the springs Ma and 4|. By this means, the magnitude of the damping action is dependent primarily upon the force exerted by the valve loading and not upon the viscosity of the liquid. In other words, the energy absorption is provided by the work done by the liquid in forcing itself past the valve Mia or 49 against the opposing force of the loading spring Ma or M, in contradistinction to known damping means wherein the energy absorption is due to the viscous flow of liquid through one or more orifices.

In the event of the loss of liquid from the device by leakage, for. example, the piston 9 might be thrust so far downwards by its springs that the end of its extension 16 would act as a stop and engage with the cap 29, thus preventing the edges II and i2 of the sealing ring it becoming disengaged from the bore of the inner tube 6.

It will be understood that the damping device is equally applicable to the damping of the movements of two members each movable relatively'to the other. The device can also be arranged hori zontally or at any other angle to the vertical, and the oscillating member 32 can obviously be connected to the operating piston and the bottom header 5 to a fixed anchorage.

In order to vent air from the device when the latter is being filled with liquid, the headers 2 and 5 are respectively provided with screwed airvent valves 6! and 62. As the device is usually filled with liquid under high pressure supplied through the nipple 34, a spring-loaded liquid relief valve 63 is fitted to the valve box 58.

It will be obvious that the invention is adapted to be used for purposes other than that specifically described above.

I claim:

1. A damping device of the class described, comprising an operating cylinder having an operating piston therein and provided at each end with a hollow header, a passageway in each of said headers communicating with the interior of said operating cylinder, a transfer conduit connecting said passageways in the two headers, a flow-resisting valve disposed in each of said passageways between; the end; ofsaid operating cylinder: and adjacent end of said transferconduit, so that liquid displaced in said operating-cylinder by said piston must'fi-rst open one of said valves before it can enter' said 'transfer conduit, a piston rod which projects through one end of said; operating cylinder and which serves toconnect said operating pisto nrto arranchorage or toa member whose" movements are to be damped; and resilient means for compensating for thedifibrential action 1 of said operating piston and; f or the effect oftemperature changes of the liquid by main taining the liquid under-pressure, said resilient means com-prising a spring-pressed. accumulator piston slidable' in a liquid-containing cylinder which communicates at one end with said transifer conduit between said passageways andsaid' flow-resisting valvesin said: headers, said: operating' piston being tubular'and being-i slidably mounted upon saidliquid-containing cylinder;-

2. A damping; device of; the class: described; comprising an Operating cylinder having an operating piston therein and provided at each end with a hollow header, a passageway in each of said headers communicating with the interior of said operating cylinder, a transfer conduit connecting said passageways in the two headers, a flow-resisting valve disposed in each of said passageways between the end of said operating cylinder and adjacent end of said transfer conduit, so that liquid displaced in said operating cylinder by said piston must first open one of said valves before it can enter said transfer conduit, a piston rod which projects through one end of said operating cylinder and which serves to connect said operating piston to an anchorage or to a member whose movements are to be damped, and resilient means for compensating for the differential action of said operating piston and for the effect of temperature changes of the liquid by maintaining the liquid under pressure, each of said flowresisting valves being adapted to open and close be opened and closed by a non-return valve normally held closed by a spring applying less pressure to said non-return valve than the pressure created by said resilient means, each of said nonreturn valves acting to allow liquid displaced into said transfer conduit from one end of said operating cylinder by said operating piston .to flow into the opposite end of said operating cylinder.

3. A damping device of the class described, comprising an operating cylinder having an operating piston therein and provided at each end with a hollow header, a tube on which said operating piston is mounted projecting out of the device through one of said headers and which is provided with means wherebyit may be attached to an anchorage or to a member whose movements are to be damped, said header at the opposite end of said operating cylinder being provided with means whereby it may be attached to the member whose movements are to be damped or to an anchorage, a passageway in each of said headers communicating with the interior of said operating cylinder, a transfer conduit connecting said passageways in the two headers, a flow-resisting valve disposed in each of said passageways between the end of said operating cylinder and adjacent end of said transfer conduit, so that liquid displaced in said operating cylinder by said piston must first open one of said valves before it can enter said transfer conduit, and resilient means mounted within a cylinder adapted to be flow-resisting valve disposed in each of said passageways between the end of said operating cylinder and adjacent end of said transfer conduit, so that liquid displaced in said operating cylinder by said piston must first open one of said valves before it can enter said transfer conduit,

resilient means for compensating for the difierential action of said operating piston and for the efleotof temperature changes of the liquid by maintaining the liquid under pressure, said resilient means comprising. a spring-pressed 3001i mulator piston slidable in a liquid-containing cyl-if inder mounted within said operating cylindervand communicating at one end with said transfer con;

duit between said passageways and said flow-re sisting valves in said headers, said operating piston being tubular and being slidably mounted upon said liquid-containing cylinder, and atue bular piston rod mounting said operating piston and telescoping over said liquid-containing cylinder, said tubular piston rod projecting outof the device through one of said headers and being provided with means whereby it may be attached to an anchorage or to a member whose movements are to be damped, said headers at thevopposite end of'said operating cylinder being-provided with means whereby it maybe attached to the member whose movements are-to be damped or to an anchorage.

CAMILLE CLARE SPRANKLING LE CLAIR. 

